RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A Novel Microcontroller-Based System for the Wheel-Running Activity in Mice
JF eneuro
JO eNeuro
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP ENEURO.0260-21.2021
DO 10.1523/ENEURO.0260-21.2021
VO 8
IS 6
A1 Zhu, Meina
A1 Kasaragod, Deepa Kamath
A1 Kikutani, Kazuya
A1 Taguchi, Kei
A1 Aizawa, Hidenori
YR 2021
UL http://www.eneuro.org/content/8/6/ENEURO.0260-21.2021.abstract
AB Voluntary wheel-running activity is a way to assess rodents’ circadian rhythm and motivation for exercise. Deficits in these behaviors are implicated in the pathophysiology of sleep and psychiatric disorders. Limited space in animal facilities can hamper long-term monitoring of running wheel activity outside of the home cage. To address this issue, we provide a stand-alone solution to monitor the wheel-running activity of mice in their home cage. This system, named the wheel-running activity acquisition (WRAQ) system, is based on a microcontroller driven by a lithium polymer battery. With the WRAQ, we can record the wheel-running activity and illumination data for at least 30 d. Applying the WRAQ to an endotoxemia mouse model robustly detected the altered wheel-running activity and its recovery. With wireless data transfer capability extension, the system also allows for online monitoring and reporting of the circadian time (CT). We used the online monitoring of wheel-running activity with this extended WRAQ system and observed a significant shift of the active period in the circadian rhythm following a temporal chemogenetic activation of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)-subparaventricular zone (SPZ). Together, these findings indicate that the WRAQ system is a novel and cost-effective solution for the analysis of wheel-running activity in mice.